One of the quickest ways to ruin a perfectly good morning is getting in your car to go to work only to find that you have a dead battery. Dealing with a dead battery is frustrating, takes time, and could turn out to be expensive should you need a tow.
While a dead battery may simply be the result of time, there may actually be things you did that killed your battery too soon. Many of these habits you might not even think about. However, you can keep your battery running longer by eliminating these bad habits.
1. Turning the Headlights on Before Starting the Car
When driving during the evening hours, many people get in the car and switch on their headlights before starting it up. While this could prevent you from forgetting to turn on your lights once you get on the road, it can also drain your battery very quickly. This is because a battery is recharged after a car is started with the alternator. Without the car being on, the battery isn’t being re-charged. This can kill it over time. Headlights take a lot of power to run, so they can kill a battery pretty quickly.
2. Not Regularly Maintaining Your Car
If your car isn’t in proper working order, it won’t be as efficient as it should be. This can take a toll on your battery and the other parts of the engine. To prevent this, you should ensure that you’re getting regular maintenance and automotive repairs done. Even just basic car maintenance will go a long way in helping to keep your battery running longer.
Whether you’re running late for work or driving home late at night, you don’t want to be left stranded because of a dead battery. By taking steps to overcome poor habits that can affect your car battery, you will better care for your car and extend the lifespan of your battery.
3. The engine has not been started for a long time
Regarding new generation cars with original electric system and normal operation, turning off the engine completely does not mean that the car will no longer consume electricity. When the vehicle does not start, the controller and anti-theft system are still ready to operate. So, after a long time, the power in the battery will be below the standard level of starting the car.
4. Driving Short Distances
Your car relies on the battery to start, but then the alternator recharges your battery while you drive. However, if the only driving you regularly do is running quick errands close to home, your alternator might not have enough time to recharge your battery. Because of this, you might be working on a deficit as your battery loses power during every trip.
To combat this, those with a short commute may consider taking a longer drive every week or so to keep the battery charged. If you don’t really have anywhere to go that takes a longer drive, think of this maintenance task as an excuse to explore your community more. Consider trying out that new restaurant that is a bit out of your way or getting out of the city to take a scenic drive and get some great nature pictures.
5. Leave the car in the sun for too long
Leaving the car in the sun for too long will cause the battery to heat up a lot. Therefore, the chemical composition of the battery will be affected when the vehicle is operated in scorching weather.
In daily use and storage of the car, you should limit sun exposure for a long time, avoid fast-moving in the street then storing it in the narrow garage immediately, not let the heat generated by the engine dissipate.
In addition, car users should also avoid charging battery in the sun, which will make lead sulfate crystals to accumulate, causing the car battery to swell.
6. Leaving the Lights, Radio, or AC On
Sitting in your driveway for a few moments with the car off and the air or heater running isn’t doing your battery any favors. As mentioned above, your car must be on and running for the alternator to do its job. Always turn off your lights, radio, heater, or air conditioner before turning off your car. When exiting the vehicle, check that the cabin lights all turn off after you have shut the door.
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